Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring concentration of hemoglobin, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring concentration of hemoglobin using a photothermal effect.
Background of the Related Art
Generally, hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein in the red blood cells which transports oxygen existing in the blood. A lack of hemoglobin causes anaemia. The causes of the anaemia are very various, and the measurement of hemoglobin concentration is used to classify the causes of the anaemia. For example, if the anaemia occurs due to a lack of iron, red blood cell indices are decreased, and if the anaemia occurs due to a lack of vitamin B12 or a lack of folic acid, the red blood cell indices are increased. Further, the anaemia occurs due to other causes, and since the red blood cell indices are differently provided in accordance with the causes of the anaemia, it is very important to measure a hemoglobin content in diagonosing the anaemia. Also, the hemoglobin content is a sensitive index indicating a lack of iron, and the index is used to diagnose diseases due to a lack of iron or to monitor efficiencies of iron therapy in veins.
Like this, as the hemoglobin content is used to diagnose various diseases, various technologies on the measurement of the hemoglobin concentration in the blood have been developed. Among them, a standard technology is provided by destroying the lipid bilayer of hemoglobin with potassium cyanide (KCN) and by conducting colorimetric analysis for the hemoglobin. However, poisonous toxic chemicals should be used whenever the hemoglobin concentration is measured. As other technologies, an electric-chemical method and immunoassay have been suggested, but unfortunately, the methods have a high degree of dependence on modelling, a low degree of accuracy, additional sensors using micro-electromechanical system (HEMS) or electrochemistry, and a long period of time required to measure the hemoglobin concentration.